2021-09-19
Judges 6:23 NIV
The name Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord my peace, was discovered by Gideon when God assigned him the job of leading Israel against the Midianites – a position Gideon saw as far beyond his abilities. “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” (v. 15 NIV). The Lord responded, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites…Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die” (vv. 16, 23 NIV). A frightened Gideon believed God before the battle was even fought and the victory secured. Through the eyes of faith, he envisioned peace already secured, and built an altar to Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord our peace.
We assume that we can only have inner peace when our outer circumstances are favourable. Let’s learn, like Gideon, that inward peace doesn’t depend on altering outward circumstances. It depends on believing that Jehovah-Shalom is with you, and that will bring you through the battle with inner peace. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace [inner, faith-based] I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives [outward, circumstantial]. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).
No matter how inadequate you feel today, remember these words: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace…take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). Your job is to “take heart” because Jehovah-Shalom is with you, and to trust Christ the “overcomer” to handle the circumstances for you!
Soul food: Gen 2:7-25; 1 Cor 15:39-55
2021-09-12
Psalm 112:8 NCV
In order to keep focused and keep reaching towards your God-given goals, there are three obstacles you need to be aware of and overcome: 1) Weariness. Racehorses run at approximately the same speed; there often isn’t a lot of difference between the first and the last runner. Sometimes the difference between them winning and losing a race comes down to their ‘heart’ to win. So, take a look into your heart today and check if you’re truly committed to reaching your goal. ‘Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise’ (Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV).
2) Fear. When it comes to commitment, there are basically four kinds of people. a) Those who have no goals and who don’t commit to anything. b) Those who don’t know if they can reach their goals so they’re afraid to commit to them. c) Those who start towards a goal but give up when things begin to get tough. d) Those who set goals, commit to them and are willing to pay the price to reach them. Which of the four do you think you are? Fear and faith will always be present; our success in reaching our goal depends on whether we allow our faith to overcome our fear.
3) Complacency: Don’t settle for yesterday’s success. Don’t settle for ‘good enough’ or ‘that’ll do’. Take regular ties of rest to refresh yourself, renew your mind and strength, and refocus on your goal. Be like Paul: ‘I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race’ (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).
Jonah 1:10-2:10; Matt 12:38-42
2021-08-15
Mark 2:3 NCV
‘Many people gathered together…Jesus was teaching them God’s message. Four people came , carrying a paralysed man. Since they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug a hole in the roof right above where he was speaking…they lowered the mat with the paralysed man on it, When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralysed man…”stand up, take your mat, and go home”‘ (Mark 2-5, 11 NCV).
If you know someone who needs a miracle today: 1) Use your faith. Even though you’re praying for someone who might have very little or even no faith of their own, God will honour your faith on their behalf. ‘When Jesus saw how much faith [the man’s friends] had, He said to the crippled man…”Get up!”‘
2) Refuse to give up. The four friends did exactly that. The crowd was a problem – so they went around it. The roof was a problem – so they broke through it. They refused to get discouraged or give up. They needed to get their friend to Jesus and nothing was going to stand in their way. If the things you’ve tried so far haven’t worked, ask God and He’ll show you another way.
3) Look for faith partners. It took four people to get the man to Jesus. Sometimes we can’t do it alone. Find someone who’ll agree with you in prayer. Jesus said, ‘I promise…when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you’ (Matthew 18:19 CEV).
So keep praying and believing that God will provide a miracle.
Eze 47:1-12; Rev 21:22-22:5
2021-04-10
Romans 10:17 ESV
George Müller is considered to be one of the spiritual giants of the church. Faced time and time again with overwhelming needs, he turned to God in prayer, claimed His promises and experienced amazing miracles.
But great faith doesn’t come overnight; it comes over a lifetime of walking with God. Müller said: ‘My faith is the same faith which is found in every believer. It has been increased little by little for the last twenty-six years. Many times when I would have gone insane from worry, I was at peace because my soul believed the truth of God’s promises. God’s Word, together with the whole character of God as He has revealed Himself, settles all questions. His unchangeable love and His infinite wisdom calmed me. I knew, “God is able and willing to deliver me.” It is written, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NKJV).’
So how can we get this kind of faith? The Bible says, ‘Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17 ESV). Just as nourishing food strengthens us physically, reading and studying God’s Word every day strengthens us spiritually. The ‘secret’ of successful Christian living isn’t a secret at all – we need to get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into us. We can’t avoid anxiety-producing situations in life, but when our faith is strong, we can face any challenge or problem with confidence, knowing that God’s ‘able and willing’ to walk through it with us.
Lev 18-20; Mark 1:21-28; Ps 25:16-22; Prov 10:2
2021-04-07
John 20:25 NIV
Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus first appeared to His disciples after the resurrection. And like many of us, other people’s experiences weren’t good enough for Thomas – he had to have his own. And Jesus made sure he got it. He didn’t put Thomas down for having doubts. Jesus understood that any question coming from an honest heart isn’t a sceptical question; it’s a search for truth.
The Bible tells us: ‘A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them…Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”‘ (John 26-28 NIV).
There are two important things we can learn from this story: 1) Our doubts can lead us to a new level of faith. When our world falls apart, when the pain of our circumstances seems unbearable, when some shattering event happens and doubt begins, don’t deny it – acknowledge it. Times of doubt become times of learning when our doubts lead us to ask God for answers. As we work our way through them, we can reach a new level of faith.
2) Our doubts can lead us to a deeper relationship with Jesus. The testimonies and experiences of others will only take us so far; ultimately, we each need our own personal experience with God. As soon as Thomas experienced Jesus for himself, his faith was instantly strengthened. We shouldn’t be ashamed to have doubts; instead we should take those doubts to God and let Him use them to build our faith.
Lev 11:1-13:37; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 32; Prov 9:10-16
